Where is calcium found in the body?
Bones and teeth make up 99% percent of the body's calcium content.

When is the skeleton formed?
Most of the body's bone mass starts to form before children enter puberty. During adolescence about 75% - 85% of the skeleton is formed. Therefore, consuming the right amount of the building blocks for bone, nutrients like calcium, protein, and vitamin D, is very important for healthy bones.

What robs the body of calcium?
Some foods and behaviors can rob the body of calcium or increase its calcium need. People who smoke, drink alcohol, skip meals, drink too many cola-type beverages, eat too much salt or have certain eating disorders risk weakening their bones for life.

At what age should you start taking calcium?
It is important to strengthen your bones while you are young. Some women begin to lose as early as age 35. Developing strong bones when you are young can help reduce the risk of broken bones when you are older.

An adequate intake of calcium is thought to exert a positive effect during adolescence and early adulthood in optimizing the amount of bone that is produced.

Maintenance of an adequate intake of calcium later in life is thought to be important in reducing the rate of bone loss particulry in the elderly and in women during the first decade following menopause.

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